Edinburgh Napier University

Month: August 2022

Bridges of Scotland

Bridges of Scotland

On the 30th of August, it will be 5 years since the Queensferry Crossing opened. If you have ever travelled to Fife and beyond by car then you will have crossed it! This lifeline artery was built as a replacement for the old Forth Road Bridge which was beginning to suffer from corrosion in the suspension cables. This resulted in a loss of strength with weakening calculated to accelerate. This would result in traffic restrictions to limit loading and would impact heavily on tourism, logistics and commuting from Fife, Perth, Aberdeen, Dundee and the Highlands. In 2007 Transport Scotland decided to proceed with a replacement bridge. Known as the Forth Replacement Crossing, the bridge was finally named in 2013 following a public vote with Queensferry Crossing receiving the most votes. Scotland has many interesting and attractive bridges and here are a few you may be interested in:

Sluggan Bridge

Remote from a town or village this tall bridge over the River Dulnain seems quite out of place to modern eyes, but at one point this was part of General Wade’s military road and a vital crossing. Originally the crossing was merely a ford, but a two-arch bridge was built in the 1760s. This was swept away in a flood in 1829 and was replaced in the 1830s with the single-span bridge you can see now. Major repairs were carried out to the bridge in 2001/02 by Sustrans as part of the National Cycle Network Route 7. Sluggan Bridge is category A listed and a scheduled monument. The Wade Road is an ancient right of way.

Craigellachie Bridge

This elegant bridge spanning the River Spey is the oldest surviving iron bridge in Scotland. Built between 1812 and 1815 it was designed by the world-famous engineer Thomas Telford. Telford allowed for floods and the bridge withstood a major flood in 1829 when the Spey rose by 4.7 meters. The spandrels are formed of diamond lattice to form a delicate design. The castellated towers that decorate the abutments are hollow with false arrow slits. The bridge, with minor modifications, continued in use until 1963–64 and was bypassed and closed to vehicles in 1972 when its pre-stressed concrete replacement just downstream, was opened. Craigellachie Bridge is now an outstanding historical and scenic amenity used by pedestrians and cyclists.

Forth Bridge

This iconic bridge is sometimes referred to as the Forth Rail Bridge, but that’s not its official name. It spans the Forth estuary carrying the railway lines connecting the north and south of Scotland, and when it opened it was the world’s longest single-span cantilever bridge. The first design to be approved for a rail bridge across the Forth was by Thomas Bouch. This design was abandoned following the Tay Bridge disaster because that bridge had also been designed by Bouch. In the end, the design by John Fowler and Benjamin Baker was chosen and the bridge opened in 1890. At the busiest point in construction, 4000 men were employed; unfortunately, 57 men died. The bridge carries 200 trains each day and 3 million passengers each year. In 2015 the bridge was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in its 125th anniversary year.

Skye Bridge

The short 500m crossing between Skye and the Scottish mainland was made by ferry until the Skye Bridge opened in 1995. The bridge is a concrete arch supported by 2 piers and it is 2.4 km long with the main arch being 35m high. Although the bridge is free to cross now, this was not always the case. The bridge was built with private rather than government funding. This meant that the private company that owned the completed bridge could charge a toll to cross it. This charge applied to locals and tourists alike which meant that whenever an islander needed to access services or visit family on the mainland, they had to pay the toll. A campaign group SKAT (Skye and Kyle Against Tolls) was set up and in 2004 the Scottish Government purchased the bridge and abolished the tolls. The bridge has made Skye much more accessible and in recent years this has caused a large increase in tourism due to exposure on tv programmes promoting the outdoors and the historical fantasy series Outlander. Islanders now complain of rubbish being dumped, busy roads and erosion of paths due to the large numbers visiting Skye.

Scotland’s newest bridge-Lossiemouth East Beach Bridge

The town of Lossiemouth in Moray relied heavily on fishing and when the industry fell into decline in the 1970s the town began to rely on tourism. There are many lovely walks and interesting attractions to visit in the area, but the town’s biggest asset is the several miles long sandy East Beach. With pristine sands and a large dune system, the beach was well used by tourists and in recent years supported a surf school. But in order to get to the beach, the estuary of the River Lossie had to be crossed. Access was by an old wooden bridge and in 2019 a member of the public reported hearing a loud crack as they crossed it. The bridge was surveyed, and it was decided it was a risk to the public, so it was permanently closed. This was devastating to local tourism with shops and hospitality businesses reporting large falls in trade and cancellations of bookings. The estimated collective annual cost of closure was £1.5 million. However, help was to come from an unexpected source. When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020, the UK government put financial help packages in place for hotels, restaurants and shops across the country. This ensured that Lossiemouth’s businesses were protected not only from the effects of the pandemic but from the loss of its biggest tourist attraction.

Meanwhile a tendering process was carried out and eventually, preparation works for a new bridge began in November 2021. The new bridge was completed in April 2022 and was officially opened in May. If you would like to see the bridge, beach and do some people watching, then click here.

 

You can use Library Search to find books and articles on more bridges of Scotland, bridge construction and tourism pressures.

By Vivienne Hamilton

Edinburgh Napier University Library Tours

Edinburgh Napier University Library Tours

Are you ready for Super September? We are! We librarians love September. In fact, it’s our favourite month, because it brings our students back and oh, how we miss you during the long summer vacation. So why not join us for an Edinburgh Napier University Library tour!

We can’t wait to reconnect with some familiar faces and welcome many new ones. We’d like to invite you to come and visit us, either in person or virtually, and allow us to introduce ourselves and our services.

It’s never too early to hone your information retrieval skills. The sooner you’re acquainted with your library resources, the easier it’ll be for you when you have to start on your first written assignments. So, come and find us and let us show you what we can offer you.

We’ll be running our library tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the first four weeks of Trimester 1.

In these short, friendly sessions, we’ll introduce our physical spaces at all three campuses, our print and electronic resources collections, explain how to borrow and request items, general pc and wifi usage, how to borrow laptops, and a whole range of other library services. See here for more details:

Library Introduction Sessions (napier.ac.uk)

Scheduled Tours

To book a scheduled library tour, please click on the link below.

Calendar – Home – Edinburgh Napier University

But if these times don’t suit you, you can also book another time from early September. We’ll have a booking form ready for our unscheduled tours in early September. It’ll be called “Personalised library tour” and you’ll be able to click on and book a session. When the page is live, you’ll find it on the library forms page in our self-service portal, Unidesk:

https://napier.unidesk.ac.uk

We look forward to meeting as many of you as possible as soon as possible.

About the Library (napier.ac.uk)

By Lesley McRobb

Are you a returning student? Find out what has changed in the Library over the summer here.

Japanese Manga Art

Japanese Manga Art

What is Manga?

Manga is Japanese comics, and graphics, in newspapers, magazines and books, that emerged in the 1920s. The word consists of ‘man’, ‘whimsical’ and ‘pictures. Manga demonstrates stories of characters through pictures and expressive lines. It is usually printed in black and white due to cost savings; however special editions are printed in colour.

 

 

Comic style strip of Manga

Manga comic at Merchiston Library

 

History:

Although Manga emerged during the 20th century, the earliest association was found on scrolls created by Japanese, Buddhist monks in the 12th century. They depicted chapters of animals mirroring human gestures. Printing techniques flourished in the 19th century and Manga focused on politics, although the government censored artists and even closed publishers.

Post-World War II, American occupation of Japan influenced the style, so it became more animated and entertaining for readers. These were called ‘Red Books’ and have influenced more contemporary pictures and stories today that suggest emotions and actions.

 

Manga Genres:

The Manga sub-genres consist of romance, fantasy, horror, and adventure. The most popular and modern classics are Naruto, Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, Fruit Basket, and Bleach. A lot of other Manga has been satirical and can focus on darker areas like corruption and injustices.

As Manga is mainly comic books, they have also become ‘anime’ meaning animations in Japanese. Anime uses movement to explain complex stories.

 

 

Image of Bleach character Manga

Bleach

 

 

So, if you are ready to read Manga, you may find that the print copies are not your usual way of reading as traditionally it is read back to front, from the top right to the left!

 

You can find Manga resources from how to master the art of drawing Manga to Bleach via the Library Search.

We even have clips available on the Library’s Box of Broadcasts.

Please let us know if you have any recommendations for the library!

 

Other resources:

https://www.carnegielibrary.org/an-introduction-to-manga/

https://blog.britishmuseum.org/an-introduction-to-manga/

World Lion Day

World Lion Day

Today’s celebrations come to us from Big Cat Rescue. World Lion Day is celebrated to raise awareness and support for their protection and conservation. It was started in 2013 by Dereck and Beverly Joubert to celebrate these legendary animals (nationaltoday.com)

 

Lions are the second largest cat in the world, they can weigh between 300 and 550 pounds. They used to roam all over Africa and the Eurasian continent. But now it is estimated that there are only 30 000 and 100 000 lions left (daysoftheyear). World Lion Day was started in 2013 by Dereck and Beverly Joubert to bring attention to the dwindling population of these big cats as they are listed as endangered species.

 

We also want to give a huge shout-out to our own lion; Logie. Logie is the library’s mascot. Why a lion you may ask, well it’s all due to the Lion’s Gate Garden at Merchiston Campus. And you all named him back in 2019, a shortened version of logarithms which was invented by John Napier. He has been with us ever since, proudly promoting our libraries.

 

Photo of Logie the Lion at Merchiston Library

Photo of Logie the Lion at Merchiston Library

You can find out more about these majestic creatures by following the hashtag #WorldLionDay on Twitter,  the Big Cat Rescue or watching some documentaries on BOB (Box Of Broadcasts)!

https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ondemand/index.php/prog/01B2B371?bcast=133938976

 

While it may seem doom and gloom, raising awareness matters and individuals can make a difference. The demand to tackle climate change and to take care of our natural environment is there. Let’s join Logie and roar for the lions.

 

By Maya Green

International Cat Day

International Cat Day

After the last few years of remote working and with staff working more from home now, meeting their feline companions during online meetings has been so much fun. Little furry faces and tails have often popped up mid-way through a very important discussion. Many of our staff have loved being able to spend more time with their creatures of choice and I know I love having a friendly work buddy to hang out with at home during the workday,

So that’s why to celebrate this year’s International cat day we think it would be nice to introduce you all to some of our furry friends.

Librarians and their cats

First up meet Aila. Alia is almost 17 years young and can be seen here enjoying the lovely sunshine. Aila’s human is Carol.

International cat day cat aila

Next up is Maxie. Maxie is 6ish but doesn’t think age matters. Quite right Maxie. Maxie’s hobbies include chasing birds, eating cheese and meowing very loudly all day long! Maxie’s human is Judy,

International cat day cat Maxie

Following Maxie we have Vivienne’s cats Smudge and Tigger. Smudge enjoys being petted and staring at the fridge until ham magically appears. Smudge also enjoys investigating places, especially the chimney. It’s good to be curious Smudge. Tigger is a little more timid and laid back. He enjoys pets…but only a little. Not too much mind. It’s good to hear about a cat with strong boundaries. We should all be more like Tigger.

International cat day cat Smudge International cat day Tigger

Now for two lookers, meet Lucy the British Blue at a stately 10 years young and Millie the ragdoll at a youthful 3. Both are gorgeous and both share a similar love for relaxing and comfy surfaces. Sounds like they know what they like. I have to say I too enjoy both these things. Their lucky human is Helen.

International cat day cat Lucy International cat day cat Millie

Tracey’s cat friend is the lovely Nell. Nell was rehomed when she was still a kitten and is now almost 4 years old. Both adored and spoiled she loves the outdoors and being social. She love’s to bring home pals to meet the family (and her food bowl). Who doesn’t love to host a dinner party Nell? Nice to hear about a socialising cat. Break those stereotypes Nell!

International cat day cat Nell

Now to meet Folie. Described by her human Peg as “a complete weirdo”. I’m sure Folie feels the same about her human. Her hobbies include hogging the remote and leg attacks.  It’s good to stay sharp Folie, you never know when you will be called to action. She also enjoys avoiding toddlers and maintaining a shocked expression. Folie sounds like my kind of cat.

cat Folie

This lovely kitty is Oscar. He’s our sport fanatic. Oscar loves nothing more than a bit of tennis, football or snooker. Anything with a ball keeps this kitty happy. Oscar is 13 and is the proud companion of our librarian Sarah.

Oscar the cat

Next up is my cat, Brindle. Brindle is part Siberian and a young at heart 12 years old. Brin Brin as she is known enjoys not being chased by small children and not having her tail pulled. Other hobbies include shouting at the magpies in the back garden as early in the morning as possible and snuggling with her favourite human (that’s me!).  She would also like it known that she enjoys playing fetch and will happily retrieve any items thrown her way. Sometimes, being wiser than her human she will retrieve important things at 3am as she is very goal orientated and is also aware that humans can be very forgetful and lose things. Thank you Brindle for being so thoughtful.

International cat day cat Brindle

Now we’ve saved someone very special for last. Nacho is Isabell’s special cat. Oh and I do mean special! Nacho isn’t any old cat…oh no! Nacho is a Polydactyl cat. She’s a cat with thumbs people…thumbs! Next step in evolution I say. A sure sign that cats are on their way to becoming our feline overlords. Not Nacho though. Nacho is a cutie. She is 8 years old but is a kitten at heart. she loves being cuddled like a baby over the shoulder and has a very sweet tooth.  She puts her thumbs to good use too, getting her treats out of the jar. Bravo and two thumbs up from this human for Nacho!

Nacho the cat Nacho the cat

So there you have it for International cat day. A selection of our feline companions, all of whom work tirelessly to support their hard-working humans in the Library. Want to know more about cats? Well of course you do! You can find lots of fascinating information on cats through Librarysearch.napier.co.uk

Not a fluffy animal person? We have you covered too. Check out our article on National Insect week instead.

And don’t worry all you “I’m more of a dog person” types. We will be back soon with some of our dog companions later in the month for International dog day!

A day in the life of a Library Assistant

A day in the life of a Library Assistant

Have you ever wondered what else Library Assistants do when they aren’t at the desk?

Starting our Day

Our day begins with emptying the book return bins as we check all returns to see if they have been requested or belong to another campus. If they belong to another campus or are requested at another campus, they will be put into our library crates for the porters to pick up and deliver.

We will check the library for any repairs and take any lost property to security.

The MFDs must be checked to see if the paper needs filled or if there are any issues that need to be resolved, for example, paper jams.

Using ALMA, our library management system, we compile a list of requested books and process them for the Click and Collect shelf. Any requests for postal loan users are parcelled up and put in the post.

 

 

Picture of books on a library shelf

Picture of books on a library shelf

 

We also use ALMA to generate other lists such as the missing list.

We can check our bookshelves to see if any of the missing items are there.

Our lapsafes are checked daily to make sure all laptops and chargers have been correctly returned.

During the day

We scan the bookshelves with our hand-held scanners to check for missing and mis-shelved items. We process new books and journals as they arrive and put them out on the shelves.

There is a procedure for all our tasks, and these are updated as necessary and receive an annual check.

We arrange displays and put up decorations and posters for campaigns and events such as Pride, Love your Library, and Book Week.

We write articles for the Library Blog, update the library’s digital signage, and post items on Twitter and Instagram.

 

Image of laptop with hands typing, a cup of coffee to one side and paper and pens to the other.

Creative planning at work

A day in the life of a Library Assistant: Training

There are all sorts of training courses that we attend throughout the year such as GDPR, Mental Health Awareness, and Fire Safety.

Should extraordinary events such as Covid-19 arise we respond by taking appropriate steps to fulfill University or Library guidelines.

For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic, we had to place social distancing stickers on the study desks, put seat covers on unavailable seats, block off bookshelves and make sure hand sanitisers were available for use throughout the library.

A day in the life of a Library Assistant: Summer

During the summer we will be involved in larger projects such as weeding and stock moves, but we are also on hand to help at the helpdesk and answer your phone and e-mail enquiries.

When term begins again we will be available to help with all your queries such as connecting to Eduroam, issuing books from the self-service kiosks, using the lapsafe, how to operate the MFDs, booking a group study room and so much more!

Read More about our Library here.

By Vivienne Hamilton

The history of Sighthill Campus

A lot has changed since John Napier was born in the tower at Merchiston Castle in 1550, during turbulent times for Scotland.

Times are still a little turbulent… but what would Napier think of our modern-day university campuses?

As you may know, Edinburgh Napier has 3 campus locations – at Merchiston, Craiglockhart and Sighthill. Not long after being renamed Edinburgh Napier university in 2009 (previously Napier University), the University opened its brand new £60m Sighthill campus in 2011.

 

 

Sighthill campus

Sighthill Campus, photograph from Edinburgh Napier Image Bank

 

Situated in the west of Edinburgh, sights of Sighthill include Burton’s biscuit company, Edinburgh Beer Factory, Edinburgh College  and of course our own Edinburgh Napier Sighthill Campus.

More than 5000 students choose to study at Sighthill campus, which houses the School of Health and Social Care (SHSC) and the School of Applied Sciences (SAS).

Applied sciences courses include Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Marine Biology and Conservation, as well as Sport Sciences, Social Sciences, Psychology, Policing and Careers Guidance. Facilities include Sport and exercise science labs, biotech labs and an environmental chamber to simulate high altitude conditions!

Health and Social care courses include Nursing, Midwifery, Allied Health professions and Social Work, as well as Health & Social Care Sciences. Step inside and you’ll find a 1000 sq metre Clinical skills centre with hospital wards, where students can treat ‘patients’ in a life-like setting.

https://www.napier.ac.uk/about-us/our-location/our-campuses/sighthill

 

 

image of nurse and training dummy

Nursing, photograph from Edinburgh Napier Image Bank

 

The opening of the 2011 Sighthill campus, with its brand new 5 storey Learning Resource Centre library, meant the bringing together of staff from a number of small ‘school of health’ libraries at Livingston St John’s hospital, Canaan Lane campus which was on the grounds of the Astley Ainslie Hospital and Comely Bank campus which was situated within the Western General Hospital’s grounds.

However, Edinburgh Napier was present at Sighthill long before 2011!

Sighthill Campus was originally opened in 1968 as custom-built accommodation for Edinburgh College of Commerce. The Edinburgh Corporation established the college in 1966 and subjects taught here would have included management and business studies – which you will now find at Craiglockhart campus!

In 1974, Edinburgh College of Commerce was amalgamated with Napier College of Science & Technology – and Napier College of Commerce & Technology was born. In 1986, Napier College became Napier Polytechnic, and then Napier University in 1992.

 

Notably, in 1984, her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Duke of Edinburgh came to Sighthill campus to open the newly refurbished library! The library was given the apt name of ‘The Queens Library’.

 

 

Image of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to open Sighthill Library

Queen Elizabeth II opened Sighthill Library

 

 

Our present-day Sighthill LRC has a range of study environments fit for any royalty 👑 👑 👑!.

Across 5 floors, we have around 300 networked computers, spaces for laptops, study booths and collaborative desks for group work.

Our book collections are spread across the 3rd and 4th floors, with group study rooms, silent study areas and a relaxation space also available.

You can also borrow laptops from our LapSafe or ask for help at our Help Desk on LRC2.

Want to know more? Find out here.

 

Sources:

https://www.napier.ac.uk/about-us/our-history

https://www.napier.ac.uk/about-us/our-location/our-campuses/sighthill

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_Napier_University

https://my.napier.ac.uk/library/about-the-library/sighthill

Seath, G. (2017). Beyond Logarithms & Bones: A short history of John Napier and his legacy.

The Napier Estate: past and present. (2007). Napier University.

 

By Judy Wheeler

© 2023 The Library Blog

Theme by Anders NorénUp ↑

%d bloggers like this: